Heat Exchanger Guide Wall Segmentation for Flow Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat exchangers face limitations in thermal performance due to flow separation and pressure loss in wavy fin configurations, which affect heat transfer efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a guide wall connected to a wavy fin within the heat exchanger's flow passage pipe, which partitions the flow into multiple passages and directs the heat medium to adjacent passages, reducing separation and enhancing heat transfer by utilizing a front edge effect.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a wavy fin is used to increase heat transfer area, then the area for heat transfer increases, but flow separation and pressure loss occur reducing heat transfer efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The wavy fin is segmented by introducing guide walls that divide the continuous wavy structure into multiple sections. These guide walls create separate flow passages that guide the heat medium through the wavy fin structure, preventing flow separation while maintaining the increased heat transfer area provided by the wavy configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
Guide walls are introduced as intermediary structures between the heat medium flow and the wavy fin surface. These guide walls act as mediators that redirect the flow to follow the wavy fin contours without separating, thereby maintaining attachment flow and reducing pressure loss while still utilizing the extended heat transfer area of the wavy fin.
2Area of stationary object
If a wavy fin is used to increase heat transfer area, then the area for heat transfer increases, but flow separation occurs reducing heat transfer efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The guide walls segment the wavy fin into multiple flow passages, ensuring that the heat medium flow remains attached to the fin surface throughout the wavy structure. This segmentation prevents flow separation and maintains reliable heat transfer efficiency while preserving the beneficial increased heat transfer area.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide walls are positioned to preliminarily guide the heat medium flow before it encounters the wavy fin sections. This preliminary action of flow direction control ensures that the flow approaches each wavy section in a manner that promotes attachment rather than separation, maintaining heat transfer efficiency.
3Area of stationary object
If the flow passage is partitioned into multiple passages, then heat transfer area increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide walls that create the multiple flow passages are merged with the wavy fin structure itself, forming an integrated component rather than separate additions. This merging approach increases heat transfer area through the multi-passages while minimizing the increase in device complexity by combining structural elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide walls serve multiple functions: they partition the flow passage into multiple passages to increase heat transfer area, they guide the heat medium flow to prevent separation, and they structurally support the wavy fin. This multi-functionality increases heat transfer area without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration improves thermal performance by minimizing flow separation and pressure loss, increasing the heat exchange area, and maintaining a higher flow rate in the main passage, thus enhancing the overall efficiency of the heat exchanger.
Implementation Method 1
the inner fin increasing an area for heat transfer between the heat exchange target and the heat medium
Implementation Method 2
Conventional heat exchangers face limitations in thermal performance due to flow separation and pressure loss in wavy fin configurations
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanger includes a flow passage pipe that has a flat shape having a predetermined thickness, a heat medium flowing in the flow passage pipe, the heat medium exchanging heat with a heat exchange target, and an inner fin located inside the flow passage pipe. The inner fin includes a wavy fin that partitions a main passage into multiple partitioned passages, and a guide wall connected to the wavy fin. An x-direction is a lengthwise direction of the flow passage pipe, a z-direction is a thickness direction of the flow passage pipe, and a y-direction is a direction perpendicular to both the x-direction and the z-direction. The wavy fin includes a first convex portion convex to a first side in the y-direction, and a second convex portion convex to a second side in the y-direction. The wavy fin has an opening portion through which two partitioned passages adjacent to each other communicate with each other. The guide wall protrudes from the wavy fin into the partitioned passage. The heat exchanger is capable of enhancing a heat transfer and improving a thermal performance of the heat exchanger.